Conveniently adaptable gas lift plunger

Abstract

The application discloses a convenient and adaptive gas lift plunger and relates to the technical field of the gas lift plunger, which is characterized in that the technical scheme comprises a plunger main body, the inside of the plunger main body is hollow, and a plurality of scraper plates and blade plates which are limited to move along the radial direction of the plunger main body are movably connected to the sidewall of the plunger main body; a trigger assembly which moves upward under the action of high-pressure gas pressure is arranged in the plunger main body and is used for triggering the scraper plates and the blade plates respectively after reaching a specific position, so that the scraper plates and the blade plates can extend radially from the plunger main body. The plunger main body is provided with the scraper plates which are used for cleaning the well wall and the blade plates which are used for improving the liquid carrying capacity, and the trigger assembly which can trigger the scraper plates and the blade plates by changing the pressure of the gas pressure in the gas extraction pipeline is arranged, so that the replacement of the scraper plates and the blade plates can be carried out without stopping the gas extraction system, the plunger can clean the well wall in the early stage, the blade plates can be conveniently switched to improve the liquid carrying capacity in the later stage, the gas extraction continuity is enhanced, and the working efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air lift plunger technology, and more specifically to a convenient and adaptable air lift plunger. Background Technology

[0002] Plunger gas lift is a widely used process in shale gas extraction. Its main purpose is to assist in the removal of liquid from the wellbore when the wellbore contains accumulated fluid that cannot be removed by the plunger itself to achieve continuous flowing production. The plunger creates a mechanical interface between the lifted gas and the produced fluid to reduce slippage losses. During plunger gas lift, brush-type plungers are initially used to prevent wear caused by friction between the plunger and impurities due to impurities on the wellbore wall. This cleans the wellbore wall during the plunger lifting process. After a certain number of plunger cycles, blade-type plungers are used to increase the fluid carrying capacity and reduce friction between the plunger and the wellbore wall, thereby increasing the gas lift speed. However, changing the plunger requires shutting down the gas production system, which interrupts continuous operation and affects extraction efficiency.

[0003] In view of this, a design or technical improvement is proposed to solve the above problems.

[0004] The above content is only used to help understand the technical solution of the present invention and does not represent an admission that the above content is the closest prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings and provide a convenient and adaptable air-lift plunger.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A convenient and adaptable gas lift plunger includes a plunger body and a one-way valve disposed on the plunger body. The plunger body is hollow inside, and multiple sets of scrapers and vanes that move radially and are limited by the sidewalls are movably connected to the sidewalls. The scrapers are used to scrape and clean impurities from the well wall, and the vanes are used to conform to the well wall to increase the plunger's fluid carrying capacity. The scrapers and vanes are arranged in multiple sets, stacked vertically and alternately, forming a complete circle on the top projection plane. A triggering component that moves upward under the action of high-pressure gas is provided inside the plunger body to trigger the scrapers and vanes individually, allowing them to extend radially from inside the plunger body.

[0008] Furthermore, the scrapers are connected by a rubber band and an expansion hole is formed in the middle. The triggering component includes a fixed plate disposed on the inner wall of the plunger body, a first spring disposed on the lower surface of the fixed plate and passing through the expansion hole, and an expansion plug disposed at the end of the first spring away from the fixed plate. The expansion plug can be expanded and supported when it moves into the expansion hole.

[0009] Furthermore, the blade plate is located above the scraper, and a wedge plate is provided on its side near the center of the plunger body; a secondary triggering unit is also provided inside the plunger body between the triggering component and the blade plate, so that the triggering component triggers the blade plate through the secondary triggering unit; the secondary triggering unit includes a support plate movably overlapping the fixed plate, a first connecting rod provided on the lower surface of the support plate, and a base plate provided on the end of the first connecting rod away from the support plate and located above the scraper; the support plate is in the shape of a frustum adapted to the wedge plate, and the base plate is sleeved on the outside of the first spring, and its inner diameter is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the expansion plug.

[0010] Furthermore, a second spring is provided between the wedge plate and the inner wall of the plunger body.

[0011] Furthermore, a telescopic rod is evenly distributed on the side wall of the plunger body. A guide wheel is rotatably provided at the end of the telescopic rod away from the center of the plunger body, and a limit plate is provided at the end of the telescopic rod close to the center of the plunger body. A third spring is provided between the limit plate and the inner wall of the plunger body.

[0012] Furthermore, the scraper is made of a hard material, and a rubber head is provided at one end away from the center of the plunger body.

[0013] Furthermore, a second connecting rod is provided at the end of the expansion plug away from the first spring, and an air-collecting plate is provided at the end of the second connecting rod away from the expansion plug, which movably abuts against the inner wall of the plunger body; wherein the air-collecting plate is in the shape of a hollow cone.

[0014] Furthermore, a pressing rod is provided on the support plate, a cap is threadedly connected to the upper opening of the plunger body, and a one-way valve is provided on the cap.

[0015] Furthermore, connecting plates are evenly distributed at the lower opening of the plunger body, and a front support ring is provided at the end of the connecting plate away from the plunger body.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this solution are as follows: This invention sets a scraper for cleaning the well wall and a blade plate to improve the liquid carrying capacity on the plunger body, and sets a triggering component that can trigger the scraper and blade plate by controlling the pressure change in the gas production pipeline. Thus, the scraper and blade plate can be replaced in cycles without shutting down the gas production system. This allows the plunger to clean the well wall in the early stage and to be easily switched to the blade plate to improve the liquid carrying capacity in the later stage, thereby enhancing the continuity of gas production and improving work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a frontal three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a bottom view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a bottom-view perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the plunger body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the plunger body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the combined state of the scraper in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the combined state of the blade plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the secondary triggering unit in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the triggering component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the state inside the shaft according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Plunger body; 11. One-way valve; 2. Scraper; 21. Blade plate; 3. Rubber belt; 31. Expansion hole; 32. Fixing plate; 33. First spring; 34. Expansion plug; 4. Wedge plate; 41. Support plate; 42. First connecting rod; 43. Base plate; 44. Second spring; 5. Telescopic rod frame; 51. Guide wheel; 52. Limiting frame plate; 53. Third spring; 6. Rubber head; 7. Second connecting rod; 71. Air collection plate; 8. Pressing rod; 81. Cap; 9. Connecting plate; 91. Front frame ring. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] like Figure 1-12 The gas lift plunger shown is used in shale gas extraction operations. Specifically, it is a convenient and adaptable gas lift plunger, including a plunger body 1 and a one-way valve 11 installed on the plunger body 1. The one-way valve 11 installed on the gas lift plunger is existing technology and its specific structure is not described. Its function is that when the plunger body 1 is lowered into the gas well, the accumulated liquid in the gas well will flow to the upper end of the plunger body 1 through the one-way valve 11, which automatically opens under water pressure. When the plunger body 1 moves upward, the one-way valve 11, which automatically closes under gravity, prevents the accumulated liquid from flowing downward from the upper end of the plunger body 1, thereby enabling the plunger body 1 to carry and transport the accumulated liquid. In this design, the plunger body 1 is hollow inside, and multiple sets of scrapers 2 and blades 21 that move radially along the sidewalls are movably connected to the sidewalls. The scrapers 2 are used to scrape and clean impurities from the well wall, while the blades 21 are used to adhere to the well wall later to increase the plunger's fluid carrying capacity. The scrapers 2 and blades 21 are arranged in multiple sets, stacked vertically and alternately, forming a complete circle on the top-view projection surface. A triggering component that moves upward under high-pressure gas is installed inside the plunger body 1. This component triggers the scrapers 2 and blades 21 respectively after reaching a specific position, allowing them to extend radially from the plunger body 1. During the movement of the triggering component, the scrapers 2 and blades 21 are not triggered simultaneously. The movement of the triggering component is controlled by changing the gas pressure introduced into the gas wellbore during use. This controls the switching between scraper 2 and blade 21. When the gas pressure is maintained at a stable lifting pressure, the triggering component only triggers scraper 2, causing it to extend from the plunger body 1 and contact the inner wall of the wellbore, thereby scraping and cleaning the impurities on the inner wall of the wellbore. After a certain lifting cycle in this state, the impurities on the inner wall of the wellbore are basically cleaned. At this time, by briefly increasing the gas pressure entering the wellbore, the stroke of the triggering component is increased, causing it to trigger blade 21 to extend from the plunger body 1 and abut against the inner wall of the wellbore. At this time, scraper 2 will retract to the inner wall of the plunger body 1 and no longer contact the wellbore. Thus, the contact between the plunger body 1 and blade 21 reduces the gap, thereby increasing the liquid carrying capacity of the plunger. This method of switching by changing the gas pressure makes the operation more continuous, does not require shutting down the gas production system, and improves the working efficiency.

[0033] In one embodiment, the scrapers 2 are connected by a rubber band 3, and an expansion hole 31 is formed in the middle. The triggering component includes a fixing plate 32 disposed on the inner wall of the plunger body 1, a first spring 33 disposed on the lower surface of the fixing plate 32 and passing through the expansion hole 31, and an expansion plug 34 disposed at the end of the first spring 33 away from the fixing plate 32. When the expansion plug 34 moves into the expansion hole 31, it can be expanded to resist it. The high-pressure gas introduced into the wellbore flows upward from the bottom, thereby driving the internal liquid to be lifted. During this process, the high pressure enters the interior of the plunger body 1 from the bottom and pushes the expansion plug 34 upward, causing it to move into the expansion hole 31. The expansion hole 31 is pushed outward, and the scraper 2 extends outward from the plunger body 1 under the action of the expansion hole 31, and then abuts against the inner wall of the well. When the plunger rises to the top of the pipeline, the high-pressure gas in the well stops flowing in, and then the plunger falls back under the action of gravity. The expansion plug 34 inside it is ejected from the expansion hole 31 under the action of the first spring 33. The scraper 2 retracts elastically through the rubber belt 3, so that the expansion hole 31 returns to its initial size. At this time, the scraper 2 does not contact the inner wall of the well, reducing the friction between the plunger and the inner wall of the well, so that the plunger can fall back to its original position more quickly for a second lift, thereby shortening the single gas lift cycle.

[0034] In one embodiment, the blade plate 21 is located above the scraper 2, and a wedge plate 4 is provided on the side of the blade plate 2 closest to the center of the plunger body 1. A secondary triggering unit is also provided inside the plunger body 1 between the triggering assembly and the blade plate 21, allowing the triggering assembly to trigger the blade plate 21 through the secondary triggering unit. The secondary triggering unit includes a support plate 41 movably connected to the fixed plate 32, a first connecting rod 42 disposed on the lower surface of the support plate 41, and a base plate 43 disposed on the end of the first connecting rod 42 away from the support plate 41 and located above the scraper 2. The support plate 41 is frustoconical in shape and adapted to the wedge plate 4. The base plate 43 is sleeved on the outside of the first spring 33, and its inner diameter is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the expansion plug 34. After the plunger gas lift has been operating for a period of time, the scraper 2 has essentially removed the impurities from the inner wall of the wellbore. At this time, by increasing the pressure of the high-pressure gas introduced into the wellbore, the expansion plug... Under air pressure, the expansion plug 34 can move to a higher position inside the plunger body 1. It will then pass through the expansion hole 31 and be located above the scraper 2. When it passes through the expansion hole 31, the scraper 2 retracts under the action of the rubber band 3, the expansion hole 31 returns to its initial size, and the expansion plug 34 overlaps the expansion hole 31. The elastic force of the first spring 33 is insufficient to push the expansion plug 34 out of the expansion hole 31 and reset it. At this time, the upper end of the expansion plug 34 supports the base plate 43, thereby driving the support plate 41 to support the wedge plate 4 upward through the first connecting rod 42. This causes the blade plate 21 to extend out of the plunger body 1 and fit against the inner wall of the well, thereby reducing the gap between the plunger body 1 and the inner wall of the well, thus increasing the liquid carrying capacity during plunger gas lift. At the same time, the blade plate 21 is made of metal, which can reduce the friction with the inner wall of the well, thereby making the plunger slide faster in the well.

[0035] In one embodiment, a second spring 44 is provided between the wedge plate 4 and the inner wall of the plunger body 1. By providing the second spring 44, the blade plate 21 can be kept stably retracted in the plunger body 1 in the initial state, so that it does not come into contact with the inner wall of the well, thereby avoiding wear caused by friction between it and impurities on the well wall.

[0036] In one embodiment, a telescopic rod frame 5 is evenly distributed on the side wall of the plunger body 1. A guide wheel 51 is rotatably provided at the end of the telescopic rod frame 5 away from the center of the plunger body 1, and a limit plate 52 is provided at the end of the telescopic rod frame 5 near the center of the plunger body 1. A third spring 53 is provided between the limit plate 52 and the inner wall of the plunger body 1. Since the plunger initially lifts by contacting the inner wall of the wellbore with the scraper 2, but does not contact the well wall when the plunger falls, the guide wheel 51 is provided to ensure the stability of the plunger when it falls. Under the action of the third spring 53, the guide wheel 51 always abuts against the inner wall of the wellbore, thereby guiding the movement trajectory of the plunger and enabling the plunger to fall back while basically maintaining the position of the center line of the wellbore.

[0037] In one embodiment, the scraper 2 is made of a hard material to ensure that the scraper 2 will not bend or deform due to the rebound force of the first spring 33 when the expansion plug 34 is supported against the upper surface of the scraper 2. Furthermore, a rubber head 6 is provided at one end away from the center of the plunger body 1, which makes it easy to scrape away impurities from the inner wall of the well passage and prevents structural wear.

[0038] In one embodiment, a second connecting rod 7 is provided at the end of the expansion plug 34 away from the first spring 33, and an air-collecting plate 71 is provided at the end of the second connecting rod 7 away from the expansion plug 34, which movably abuts against the inner wall of the plunger body 1; wherein the air-collecting plate 71 is in the shape of a hollow cone, and by setting the air-collecting plate 71, the contact surface with the airflow is increased, so that the high-pressure gas can act stably on the air-collecting plate 71, and then drive the expansion plug 34 to move upward through the second connecting rod 7.

[0039] In one embodiment, a pressing rod 8 is also provided on the support plate 41, and a cap 81 is threadedly connected to the upper opening of the plunger body 1. A one-way valve 11 is provided on the cap 81. When the plunger needs to be reset to its initial state, the cap 81 can be opened and the pressing rod 8 can be manually pressed, so that the support plate 41 is subjected to downward force, thereby pushing the base plate 43 downward to push the expansion plug 34 out of the expansion hole 31 and back to the bottom position of the plunger body 1.

[0040] In one embodiment, connecting plates 9 are evenly distributed at the lower opening of the plunger body 1. A front frame ring 91 is provided at the end of the connecting plate 9 away from the plunger body 1. When the plunger falls to the buffer position at the bottom of the well, it collides and contacts the buffer through the front frame ring 91, thereby preventing the gas collection plate 71 from being damaged by the collision and ensuring its stability when it is impacted by high-pressure airflow.

[0041] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A convenient adaptable air-lift plunger, comprising a plunger body (1) and a one-way valve (11) disposed on the plunger body (1), characterized in that: The plunger body (1) is hollow inside, and multiple sets of scrapers (2) and blades (21) that move radially along the plunger body (1) are movably connected to the side wall. The scraper (2) is used to scrape and clean impurities on the well wall, and the blade (21) is used to fit against the well wall to increase the fluid carrying capacity of the plunger. The scraper (2) and blade (21) are stacked in multiple sets on the top-view projection surface to form a complete circle; The plunger body (1) is provided with a triggering component that moves upward under the action of high-pressure air pressure, which is used to trigger the scraper (2) and the blade plate (21) separately, so that the two can extend radially from the plunger body (1); The scrapers (2) are connected by a rubber band (3) and an expansion hole (31) is formed in the middle. The triggering component includes a fixed plate (32) on the inner wall of the plunger body (1), a first spring (33) on the lower surface of the fixed plate (32) and passing through the expansion hole (31), and an expansion plug (34) on the end of the first spring (33) away from the fixed plate (32). The expansion plug (34) can be expanded and pushed open when it moves into the expansion hole (31); The blade plate (21) is located above the scraper (2), and a wedge plate (4) is provided on the side of it near the center of the plunger body (1). The plunger body (1) is also provided with a secondary triggering unit located between the triggering component and the blade plate (21), so that the triggering component triggers the blade plate (21) through the secondary triggering unit; The secondary triggering unit includes a support plate (41) that is movably attached to the fixed plate (32), a first connecting rod (42) disposed on the lower surface of the support plate (41), and a base plate (43) disposed on the end of the first connecting rod (42) away from the support plate (41) and above the scraper (2). The support plate (41) is in the shape of a frustum adapted to the wedge plate (4), and the base plate (43) is sleeved on the outside of the first spring (33), and its inner diameter is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the expansion plug (34).

2. The convenient adaptable air-lift plunger according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second spring (44) is provided between the wedge plate (4) and the inner wall of the plunger body (1).

3. The convenient adaptable gas lift plunger according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The side wall of the plunger body (1) is also connected to a telescopic rod frame (5) that is evenly distributed. A guide wheel (51) is rotatably provided at one end of the telescopic rod frame (5) away from the center of the plunger body (1). A limit plate (52) is provided at one end of the telescopic rod frame (5) near the center of the plunger body (1). A third spring (53) is provided between the limit plate (52) and the inner wall of the plunger body (1).

4. The convenient adaptable air-lift plunger according to claim 3, characterized in that: The scraper (2) is made of hard material, and a rubber head (6) is provided at one end away from the center of the plunger body (1).

5. The convenient adaptable air-lift plunger according to claim 4, characterized in that: The expansion plug (34) is provided with a second connecting rod (7) at the end away from the first spring (33), and the second connecting rod (7) is provided with an air-collecting plate (71) that moves against the inner wall of the plunger body (1) at the end away from the expansion plug (34). The air collection plate (71) is a hollow cone shape.

6. The convenient adaptable air-lift plunger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support plate (41) is also provided with a pressing rod (8), and the upper opening of the plunger body (1) is threaded with a cap (81), and the one-way valve (11) is provided on the cap (81).

7. The convenient adaptable air-lift plunger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower opening of the plunger body (1) is provided with connecting plates (9), and the end of the connecting plate (9) away from the plunger body (1) is provided with a front frame ring (91).

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